Expanding Empathy Series returns for discussions on empathy and morality
The Consortium on Moral Decision-Making’s Expanding Empathy Speaker Series returns for its seventh consecutive year starting Thursday, May 8.
Organizer Daryl Cameron, Sherwin Early Career Professor in the Rock Ethics Institute and director of the Consortium on Moral Decision-Making, said the…
Why Social Science? - Because We Need Good Data to Predict the Future
This month's Why Social Science? post comes from Mark Mather and Beth Jarosz from the Population Reference Bureau who write about the importance of demography and how it can help community leaders, policymakers, business leaders, advocates, and residents plan effectively for a thriving future.
By…
Consortium announces seed grant recipients
The Consortium on Moral Decision-Making at Penn State recently awarded nine seed grants to support interdisciplinary research related to the conceptual and empirical study of human morality and ethical decision-making.
According to consortium director Daryl Cameron, Sherwin Early Career Professor…
SSRI celebrates two staff retirements
Betsy Beck and Joe Broniszewski recently celebrated their retirements from SSRI with a party to honor their years of service at Penn State.
Betsy spent the last five years of her 19-year Penn State career as a senior administrative coordinator at SSRI. Previously she was with IST, Smeal College of…
Kowalkowski Awarded the Lloyd Prize for Innovative Health Research
UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — The Social Science Research Institute (SSRI) is thrilled to announce Jennifer Kowalkowski is the winner of the 2025 Lloyd Prize for Innovative Health Research.
Kowalkowski is an assistant professor of nursing at the Penn State Ross and Carol Nese College of Nursing. She is…
People Who Use Drugs Need Access to Treatment, But They Also Need Love and Support
Editor’s note: Dr. Abenaa Jones is an Assistant Professor of Human Development and Family Studies, Ann Atherton Hertzler Early Career Professor in Health and Human Development, and Social Science Research Institute cofunded faculty member at Penn State University. Dr. Jones’ work focuses on the…
How safe is the air to breathe? 50 million people in the US don't know
In 2024, more than 50 million people in the United States lived in counties with no air-quality monitoring, according to a new study from researchers in the Penn State College of Health and Human Development.
Rural counties — especially counties in the Midwest and South — were less likely to have…
Insomnia and sleep medication use connected to disability in older adults
Insomnia is a significant health and quality of life concern for older adults, with up to half of all adults over the age of 65 experiencing insomnia symptoms. In a new study, researchers in the Penn State College of Health and Human Development and at Taipei Medical University analyzed five years…
High school experiences linked to midlife body weight
High schools have long been recognized for shaping students’ futures. According to a new study by researchers from Penn State, the University of Texas, the University of Wisconsin-Madison and the University of Minnesota, high schools may even contribute to how much a person weighs later in life.…
Three selected as Administrative Fellows for 2025-26
The Administrative Fellows Program offers Penn State faculty and staff the opportunity to work with senior University officers to gain knowledge and experiences pertaining to leadership in the academic community.
For the 2025-26 academic year, the Administrative Fellows are:
Danielle Symons Downs…
Political Morality Conference to be held at Penn State
Penn State’s Consortium on Moral Decision-Making will be hosting a hybrid conference on political polarization and moral decision-making on Friday, April 25, at Foster Auditorium in Paterno Library and live-streamed on Zoom.
According to consortium director Daryl Cameron, Sherwin Early Career…
Penn State social scientists support federal research funding at COSSA Day
A distinguished delegation of Penn State researchers traveled to Washington, D.C., March 24-25, to participate in the annual Consortium of Social Science Association's (COSSA) Social Science Advocacy Day. The event brought together social and behavioral scientists from across the nation to engage…
New partnership brings evidence-based parenting support to Air Force families
UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — The Clearinghouse for Military Family Readiness at Penn State (Clearinghouse) has received $1.4 million from the U.S. Air Force for a major initiative to expand access for airmen and their families to evidence-informed parenting programs to strengthen military…
CSUA attends Science Coalition's Capitol Hill Day
Last week, the Social Science Research Institute's (SSRI) Consortium on Substance Use and Addiction (CSUA) was on Capitol Hill for "The Science of Addiction & Mental Health" hosted by The Science Coalition.
CSUA Director Joel Segel and SSRI cofunded faculty member Glenn Sterner spent time with…
Mindfulness and cognitive behavioral therapy may improve chronic low back pain
HERSHEY, Pa. — The list of treatments for low back pain is endless, but few offer relief for the one in four Americans who suffer from this persistent pain and leading cause of disability globally. More than 80% of those with chronic low back pain wished there were better treatment options. Yet,…
Community coalitions key to combating the opioid crisis
Collaborative, community-driven initiatives can help mitigate the impact of opioid misuse and overdose deaths, according to a research team that includes Brandy Henry, assistant professor of rehabilitation and human services and Social Science Research Institute cofunded faculty member at Penn…
SSRI announces 2025-26 faculty fellows
Five Penn State faculty members were recently named Social Science Research Institute (SSRI) Mentored Faculty Fellows for 2025-2026.
The SSRI Mentored Faculty Fellows Program supports the career development of Penn State early career faculty to train in a new area of research and/or to develop new…
Centre honors employees; Proclaims Justice Education Month
From The Express
In recognition of the county’s hardworking employees, the Centre County Board of Commissioners proclaimed April 2025 as National County Government and Centre County Employee Appreciation Month.
April was designated by the National Association of Counties to highlight effective…
SSRI and CTSI awards Penn State faculty fellowships
UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — Four Penn State faculty members were recently named the inaugural Social Science Research Institute (SSRI)] and Clinical and Translational Science Institute (CTSI) Fellows for the 2025-2026 academic year by SSRI and CTSI.
SSRI and CTSI Fellows will engage in work, together or…
Psychiatry professor to present at annual substance-use and addiction conference
The Social Science Research Institute’s Consortium on Substance Use and Addiction will host its sixth annual conference, in-person and via Zoom on Monday, May 5, from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. at the Barron Innovation Hub at the University Park campus. The all-day event is free, but all in-person and…
Webinar to bring awareness to child abuse
Penn State’s Child Maltreatment Solutions Network is hosting a webinar on April 25, 9 a.m. – 12 p.m., via Zoom as part of National Child Abuse Prevention Month.
The webinar will include three talks to engage agency-level leadership and workforce representatives from children and youth services,…
Penn State congratulates Fall 2024 Emerging Academic Leaders on program completion
The fall 2024 cohort of the Penn State Emerging Academic Leaders (PSEAL) program have successfully completed their semester-long professional development experience.
Designed for mid-career faculty who are interested in exploring academic leadership roles, PSEAL offers participants the opportunity…
Recurring food insecurity linked to unhealthy weight changes in older adults
For every year that an adult aged 65 or older experiences food insecurity, they become more likely to undergo unhealthy weight changes associated with earlier death, according to a new study by researchers in the Penn State College of Health and Human Development.
The research team examined the…
Supports can improve educational success for military-connected students
Military-connected children often change schools multiple times, each time facing different academic requirements and support systems, which can significantly impact academic progress and social adjustment. Specific support initiatives can help alleviate the challenges that arise from such…
Latino Research Seed Grant Program
The Penn State Harrisburg, Penn State College of the Liberal Arts (CLA), Penn State Social Science Research Institute (SSRI) and Pennsylvania Center for Latino Research (PaCLR) are pleased to announce the 2025 Latino Research Seed Grant Program to support innovative interdisciplinary collaborations…